NEW YORK — Bryan McCabe had a goal and an assist, and the Rangers scored three times on a potent power play to win the latest New York-New York matchup 6-3 over the Islanders on Tuesday night.
Brandon Prust netted a short-handed goal, and Erik Christensen scored on the power play in a dominating first period in which the Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead and took 21 shots.
Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, and McCabe scored in a span of 7:40 in the second as the Rangers took control again after the Islanders tied it. The Rangers returned home for the first time in more than a week, following a 1-1 trip to California, and recorded 47 shots in winning for the fourth time in five games.
Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves for his 29th win, and Gaborik added his 20th goal on backup goalie Nathan Lawson with 7:17 left. The Rangers, 4-1 against the Islanders this season, have outscored opponents 13-3 in their last two home games.
The Islanders showed life early in the second and got even 3:50 in. Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau scored 2:29 apart — both off assists from John Tavares, who also scored a power-play goal to make it 6-3 with 4:03 remaining.
Moulson’s goal was his team-leading 30th for the Islanders, who lost in regulation for the first time in eight games (4-1-3).
The Rangers were being outshot 5-2 in the second before busting out again. They were greatly helped by the Islanders’ undisciplined play that led to three penalties and recorded the final 13 shots of the second.
Callahan scored an even-strength goal when a pass from Artem Anisimov from behind the net slid through the crease behind Al Montoya, off the goalie’s skate, and to Callahan, who scored into the open right side to make it 3-2 at 11:31.
As a hooking penalty to Blake Comeau ticked down, Matt Martin had a short-handed rush that was stopped by McCabe. Gaborik picked up the loose puck in his end, raced up the right side and snapped a shot from above the circles to restore the Rangers’ two-goal lead with 4:51 left in the period.
Travis Hamonic and Michael Grabner were whistled for tripping and hooking, 1:11 apart to give the Rangers a 5-on-3 advantage that McCabe made the most of with another long shot. Vinny Prospal gathered a rebound and sent a pass up to McCabe for his first goal in his eighth game since being acquired by the Rangers from Florida.
Prust gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with the team’s 11th short-handed goal of the season just 3:47 in, and Christensen pushed it to 2-0 with New York’s first power-play goal of the night.
Notes: McCabe has six goals this season and three assists with the Rangers. … Sean Avery, in the Rangers lineup after a one-game benching, and Islanders forward Micheal Haley were both called for boarding in the first period. NHL general managers determined during meetings Tuesday that more aggressive enforcement of charging and boarding violations will reduce concussions. … Moulson reached 30 goals for the second straight season. … Montoya was replaced by Lawson to start the third after allowing five goals on 36 shots. … The Rangers’ 21 shots in the first period tied a season high. … LW Wojtek Wolski and D Matt Gilroy were scratched by the Rangers to make room for Avery and D Steve Eminger.